Yay. Some recognition for Claire Foy's performance in Unsane. Surely I can't be the only one who preferred her there this year?

Oh, and while I'm never going to complain about Anya Taylor-Joy receiving recognition, it seems weird that's she cited for Glass, which as far as I know is not going to be released anywhere until next year??

I'm not familiar with the London Critics' Circle but their nomination process for actors is a little quirky, with actors in some cases being considered for multiple films they've been in during the year instead of just focusing on one performance like usual awards. So yeah, seeing Glass as one of the films listed for Taylor-Joy is weird, I don't think it's playing early at festivals or anything before its January 2019 release. But regarding Foy, I agree: she was certainly good in First Man, but I enjoyed her starring role in Unsane much more. They should have just omitted the lame Girl in the Spider's Web from her credentials for this year though, haha.

The gauzy thoughts of the sturdy Scots
Wrestle with the elements
Up on the trail high
I need to know where does it go
How do I get there and what will I find?

Charm City
Communion
Crime + Punishment
Dark Money
The Distant Barking of Dogs
Free Solo
Hale County This Morning, This Evening
Minding the Gap
Of Fathers and Sons
On Her Shoulders
RBG
Shirkers
The Silence of Others
Three Identical Strangers
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Best Documentary ShortShow

Black Sheep
End Game
Lifeboat
Los Comandos
My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes
A Night at the Garden
Period. End of Sentence.
’63 Boycott
Women of the Gulag
Zion

Annihilation
Avengers: Infinity War
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Crazy Rich Asians
The Death of Stalin
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
First Man
If Beale Street Could Talk
Isle of Dogs
Mary Poppins Returns
A Quiet Place
Ready Player One
Vice

Best Original SongShow

“When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
“Treasure” from Beautiful Boy
“All the Stars” from Black Panther
“Revelation” from Boy Erased
“Girl in the Movies” from Dumplin'
“We Won’t Move” from The Hate U Give
“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from Mary Poppins Returns
“Trip a Little Light Fantastic” from Mary Poppins Returns
“Keep Reachin’” from Quincy
“I’ll Fight” from RBG
“A Place Called Slaughter Race” from Ralph Breaks the Internet
“OYAHYTT” from Sorry to Bother You
“Shallow” from A Star Is Born
“Suspirium” from Suspiria
“The Big Unknown” from Widows

Best Animated ShortShow

Age of Sail
Animal Behaviour
Bao
Bilby
Bird Karma
Late Afternoon
Lost & Found
One Small Step
Pepe le Morse
Weekends

Charm City
Communion
Crime + Punishment
Dark Money
The Distant Barking of Dogs
Free Solo
Hale County This Morning, This Evening
Minding the Gap
Of Fathers and Sons
On Her Shoulders
RBG
Shirkers
The Silence of Others
Three Identical Strangers
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Best Documentary ShortShow

Black Sheep
End Game
Lifeboat
Los Comandos
My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes
A Night at the Garden
Period. End of Sentence.
’63 Boycott
Women of the Gulag
Zion

Annihilation
Avengers: Infinity War
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Crazy Rich Asians
The Death of Stalin
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
First Man
If Beale Street Could Talk
Isle of Dogs
Mary Poppins Returns
A Quiet Place
Ready Player One
Vice

Best Original SongShow

“When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
“Treasure” from Beautiful Boy
“All the Stars” from Black Panther
“Revelation” from Boy Erased
“Girl in the Movies” from Dumplin'
“We Won’t Move” from The Hate U Give
“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from Mary Poppins Returns
“Trip a Little Light Fantastic” from Mary Poppins Returns
“Keep Reachin’” from Quincy
“I’ll Fight” from RBG
“A Place Called Slaughter Race” from Ralph Breaks the Internet
“OYAHYTT” from Sorry to Bother You
“Shallow” from A Star Is Born
“Suspirium” from Suspiria
“The Big Unknown” from Widows

Best Animated ShortShow

Age of Sail
Animal Behaviour
Bao
Bilby
Bird Karma
Late Afternoon
Lost & Found
One Small Step
Pepe le Morse
Weekends

Didn't actually realise how strong the foreign film category in these award shows will be this year until now, because the winner seems obvious. But Roma, Cold War, Burning and Shoplifters are all film of the year contenders. Got me thinking, when was the last time there was a lineup this strong?

Best Screenplay: Armando Iannucci, David Schneider and Ian Martin (“The Death of Stalin”), Runners-Up: Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”), Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara (“The Favourite”)
Film Heritage Award: To the team of producers, editors, restorers, technicians and cineastes who labored for decades to bring Orson Welles’ “The Other Side of the Wind” to completion for a new generation of movie lovers.

Film Heritage Award: To the Museum of Modern Art for restoring Ernst Lubitsch’s 1923 film “Rosita,” starring Mary Pickford.

Special Citation for a Film Awaiting U.S. Distribution: “A Family Tour” (Ying Liang, Taiwan/Hong Kong/Singapore/Malaysia)

These came out a few days ago, but I've only just seen them. Producer's Guild nominees, which are known for correlating pretty well with the Oscars:

Crazy Rich Asians suddenly looking likely for a BP nomination, with the SAG ensemble nod and now PGA...

I'm not sure if Crazy Rich Asians is that likely yet; I remember reading an article a few years back (I think on the film experience) that explained a bit more what the awards meant, and it was more about getting the film produced as to being a good film. In this case, actually getting the studio to greenlight and produce Crazy Rich Asians is a major accomplishment, so it doesn't surprise me to see it show up here. Given the wide field for BP, I'm doubtful that this will translate into a BP nom at the Oscars, though I wouldn't rule it out just yet.

Sound
Bohemian Rhapsody
First Man
Mission: Impossible - Fallout
A Quiet Place
A Star Is Born

Special visual effects
Avengers: Infinity War
Black Panther
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
First Man
Ready Player One

British short film
73 Cows
Bachelor
The Blue Door
The Field
Wale

British short animation
I'm OK
Marfa
Roughhouse

Outstanding contribution to British cinema
Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen

-No Burning, but Cold War up for Best Director, Cinematography and Original Screenplay.
-Only Adapted Screenplay and Original Music for Beale Street (Rachel looking good for that Best Supporting Actress win )
-Surprised Roma didn't get a Sound nom since the sound is like half the film

Saw The Favourite yesterday. Really liked it. Won't win the big prizes, but I could definitely see it getting Original Screenplay. It'd have a good shot for Cinematography most years with all that Barry Lyndon-like naturalness, but that's definitely going to Roma.

Hard to know how they decided on the Lead/Support split for Colman/Weisz/Stone. I know it's all tactical but if anything I'd have put Emma Stone lead in terms of functioning as the protagonist, though all in all it's probably pretty even in screentime between the three. Nicholas Hoult's character was fun too, but probably not big enough role to get in supporting.

Viola Davis was great in Widows, but if we're getting an 'unexpected nomination', I'd rather it were Toni Collette or Yalitza...Why isn't Collette getting recognised by the big bodies? She was so goooood. Anti-horror bias, I guess.

The director/screenplay noms for Cold War are surprising, but I think the UK industry still kind of "claims" Pawlikowski. He lived here for 4 decades and made his first films here.

If Bale ends up winning the Oscar, I think I'll vomit just a little. Rami Malek has been the frontrunner for quite a few weeks. I really hope this continues.

Surprised by all the love for The Wife given that it's a film that not many saw. Close was far better in Albert Nobbs and should have won instead of Meryl Streep that year. On the other hand, I guess The Wife is fairly topical. If you've seen it, you'll know why.

I think it's purely people jumping on the opportunity to finally award Close, sort of like they gave Julianne Moore the statue for a film that was otherwise completely off the radar. I haven't seen The Wife so can't compare the performance to Albert Knobbs, but I agree that she's superb in that film, easily her best performance and better than Streep, yep (but there was no way in hell that Meryl could portray Margaret Thatcher and NOT win an Oscar. I remember declaring her the winner the moment the role was announced. Same with Oldman as Churchill...but I digress)

Anyway, I think it's very Close (har har) between Glenn and Olivia. Starting to lean towards the former.

The Critics Choice BP winner has matched with the Oscars 5/8 times this decade. So very good news for Roma (easily my pick from the contenders, and it would be among the best winners of all time) but neither is it set in stone...

I'm curious, how do you see A Quiet Place making the cut? I can see First Man and your two alternates getting the nom before that one. Although First Man got absolutely no traction this awards season, for whatever reason.